Ada Mary gave Sharon Grey by far her biggest win in nearly three decades as a trainer when she brought the Sydney Cup back to NSW at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Interstate greyhounds had won the 2012, 2013 and 2014 Cups, with Victoria's Sweet It Is posting race record time of 41.84 last year.
Sharon Grey, who trains nine greyhounds at Killabakh, 15 minutes north-west of Taree, jumped for joy when Ada Mary drew box eight and her belief that was the perfect draw for her greyhound was vindicated.
Despite not being able to immediately adopt her favoured role as pacemaker, Ada Mary handled the outside alley with aplomb, sweeping past early leader Entreaty with a lap to go.
She then comfortably held off a late challenge from the NSW-owned, Victorian-trained Lithgow Panther to win by one-and-a-half lengths in a nippy 42.34.
"Ada Mary winning a race like this has given me goose-bumps,'' an excited Grey said after the race.
Ada Mary's Group race win was well deserved as she finished third in Zipping Maggie's Chairman's Cup at Wentworth Park on September 12 and reached the National Distance Championship final on August 22.
Chica Destacada bumped her earnings up to a massive $337,528 when she made a one-act affair of Saturday night's top grade 520m event, leading throughout in 29.97.
The race had looked a match between Chica Destacada and Bessy Boo but that spectacle did not take place when Bessy Boo lost all chance at the first turn.
When Queen Esther took a tumble at that point Bessy Boo, who was in fourth position and close enough to be a threat to Chica Destacada, virtually tripped over her.
Pheasants Nest trainer Jenny Brown made a successful long overdue return to Wentworth Park when Jenmar Panther led throughout to win Saturday's opening event in a tidy 30.11.
Jenmar Panther had box one but stepped sharply to the right at box rise, almost throwing the race away.
"He trialled a fast 24.21 in a post-to-post hand-slip for me at his first look at the track but I hope he gets out of the habit of running out like he did tonight,'' a relieved Brown said later.
Blue Squirrel returned from a break of more than three months due to a metacarpal injury with a runaway 30.10 win in a fifth grade event.
After beginning cleanly from box one, Blue Squirrel secured a "dream'' run approaching the first turn to lead around the bend.
"He does not always come out as well as that but Blue Squirrel can run,'' trainer Elizabeth Bont said.
"The key to him is if he can get a clear run along the rails because he will scrape the inside fence and when Sawadee left him enough room that was it.''
Werrington trainer Allen Hansen will never forget Christmas 2013 as that was the day he collected Smooth Number - then a 12 months old puppy - from his breeder.
Smooth Number took his earnings to a healthy $67,000 when he ran down tearaway leader It's A Bird to win over 720m on Saturday night, taking his tally to 73 starts for 17 wins and 25 placings.
"I was a forklift driver but the company I worked for shut down for renovations for a few months and earlier this year I was left without a job,'' Hansen said.
"Smooth Number has kept things ticking along and I'm trying to make a go of surviving by training greyhounds.
"I have several pups at home and their antics seem to have given Smooth Number a new lease of life. He loves their company and is really enjoying himself at the moment.''
Owner Peter Spiteri described Let It Develop as a "box eight bandit'' after the dog overcame a moderate start to clock 29.92 winning Saturday night's fourth and fifth grade event.
Let It Develop is trained by Anthony Azzopardi, who prepared the dog's litter brother Jack Kade to win the recent Group 3 Casino Cup on Spiteri's behalf.
"Let It Develop, Jack Kade and Pierro Kade, another litter brother which I am training myself, have been amazing," Spiteris said. "This entire litter by Collision from Neat Irish have won nearly $200,000 prizemoney.
"Yale, who is racing in SA, Amyjo and Overstocked are also winners from this litter.''
See you next week!
